Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Mint, Cucumber, and Feta

I forgot how much I love Israeli couscous....and I have found a renewed interest in creating any and every kind of salad from it.  This is one of the better recipes I've found (It's from Fine Cooking).  But really, you can use the couscous and dressing base and put any assortment of cheese, veggies, or other salad toppings in it.  I like making a salad up at the beginning of the week and having a little for lunch every day.  It tastes indulgent but it's good for you! (Ps. It's cheaper to get the couscous at Trader Joe's than the grocery store, at least here)

Toasted Israeli Couscous Salad with Mint, Cucumber, and Feta

Ingredients:


Kosher salt 
1 cup Israeli couscous 
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and finely diced (2 cups) 
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh spearmint or pineapple mint leaves; additional sprigs for garnish 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more as needed 
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest 
Freshly ground black pepper 
1 cup small-diced feta cheese

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts well-salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the couscous, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, about 7 minutes.


Cook the couscous in the boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Pour the couscous into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cucumber and mint.


In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon juice and zest, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Stir in the feta. Add the feta mixture to the couscous, season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the mint sprigs.


I made the salad the night before and then added the cheese at serving time.  It also keeps for days in the fridge.

Grilled Five-Spice Chicken Thighs with a Soy-Vinegar Sauce and Cilantro

I don't cook with chicken thighs much, but this recipe opened my eyes to the great flavor of the thighs, combined with the right spices.  This is now one of my go-to grilling recipes, and never fails to get compliments (thighs are cheaper too, always a plus!).  I love it because it is simple but the flavors are complex, and also because you can make the spice mix and the sauce up in advance, making for an effortless dinner with friends.

This weekend I served it over rice and alongside Asian Cucumber Salad.  I tend to double the sauce recipe to make sure I have enough to pass it at the table.

I find the Chinese five-spice powder at most grocery stores, but not all.  You may have to look around a bit. (But it will be worth it!)

Grilled Five-Spice Chicken Thighs with a Soy-Vinegar Sauce and Cilantro

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8 large, 10 medium, or 12 small), trimmed of excess fat
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil; more for the grill
• 3 Tbs. chopped cilantro

Directions:

Mix the five-spice powder, the 1 Tbs. sugar, the garlic powder, and the salt in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and remaining 1 tsp. sugar.
Put the chicken in a shallow pan, drizzle with the vegetable oil, and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken; toss and rub to coat thoroughly.

Prepare a hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill with all burners on medium high for 10 min. Clean the hot grate with a wire brush and then lubricate it with an oil-soaked paper towel. Put the chicken on the grate and grill (covered on a gas grill or uncovered over a charcoal fire) until one side has dark grill marks, 5 to 6 min. for large thighs or 4 to 5 min. for medium and small thighs. Turn and continue to grill until well marked on the other sides and cooked through, 5 to 6 min. longer for large thighs or 4 to 5 min. for medium and small thighs.

Move the thighs to a serving dish. Drizzle with about half of the soy mixture, sprinkle with the cilantro, and toss to coat. Let rest 4 to 5 min., tossing once or twice. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with the remaining soy mixture passed at the table.

Mexican Egg & Cheese Puff

I love this breakfast recipe.  It is great for when you have guests visiting and need something that suits all tastes, or need to bring something for a brunch.  I have made it up the night before to save time, and it works great.  It also reheats well in the micro if you don't finish it all.  And besides the flour its nearly carb free, and super YUM!




Mexican Egg & Cheese Puff


Ingredients:

• 10 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup flour
• 4 cups jack cheese, shredded
• 1 pint (2 cups) cottage cheese
• 8oz- 2 small cans, diced green chilis (or, I like to use 1 small can green chilis and 1 small can jalapenos)
• 1 stick butter (or less, to be healthier :) )

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Beat 10 eggs with whisk until light and fluffy
• Add baking powder and flour to eggs, stir in
• Then add jack and cottage cheese, beat well
• Stir in green chilis and butter
• Pour into 9x13 greased pan
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min or until top is browned

Stuffed Bells

This recipe was adapted from Suzanne Somers' Cookbook, "Fast & Easy".  A while back, my mom followed her "Somersize" program and lost a lot of weight.  The basis for her program is that you separate your carbs from your proteins, and your body processes the food more efficiently.  I love many of her recipes because they are healthy and easy.  This one provides a lot of options--on cooking method, meat, ingredients, and cheese.  I just use whatever I have on hand.  And it's always delicious!

Stuffed Bells


Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey, chicken or beef
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Pinch (I use more!) of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1-8oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 6 oz. mushrooms, sliced (or 1 can)
• 1- 4oz. can, diced green chilis
• 1 pkg. Onion Soup Mix or 1 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning---optional
• 4 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow are best but green work too.), tops sliced off, membranes and seeds removed
• 1 cup shredded jack, mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Optional:  Saute onions and mushrooms in olive oil until caramelized 
• In a medium bowl combine ground meat, and all other ingredients above, except cheese
• Stuff bell peppers with meat mixture
• Cook in slow cooker for 7 hours on low or 3 1/2 hours on high; Or bake in a glass dish for 1 hour at 350
• Thirty minutes before serving, sprinkle each one with cheese
• They come out juicy so are best served in a bowl :)

Smoked Chicken- Stuffed Yellow Peppers

Another make-ahead appetizer!  I used a rotisserie chicken instead of smoked but either should work fine.  

This makes a perfect hand-held appetizer. The sweetness of the yellow pepper contrasts with the smoked chicken beautifully. For this recipe, your hands are your best tools to arrange the ingredients on the pepper strips.

Smoked Chicken-Stuffed Yellow Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarsely chopped smoked chicken
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped, drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomato
• 1 Tbsp. finely diced red onion
• 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 8 strips
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

In a bowl, combine chicken, sun-dried tomato, onion, mayonnaise and mustard and mix well to combine. Place pepper strips on a platter with natural curve facing up. Arrange chicken mixture on top, dividing equally. Garnish with parsley and serve. To make ahead, assemble, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours ahead and garnish with parsley just before serving. 
Taken from 750 Best Appetizers by Judith Finlayson and Jordan Wagman © 2011 

Favorite. Dinner. Ever. (a.k.a. Mom's Chicken Broccoli Casserole)

Since I was a kid, this has been my favorite dinner.  When I got to request a dinner from my mom, this was it.  It sounds so simple, but there is something about the lemon and the curry powder together that make this so craveable.  I could eat it every day.  It makes enough to last for 2-3 dinners (for two) but I usually eat it for lunch and dinner 'til it's gone (and sometimes cold for breakfast too).  I can't say it's super healthy but it's soooo good.  I also like to make double batches or, like tonight, split it into two and freeze them for future meals.  


I would say it was paid the highest compliment when my hubby told me it was better than his moms :)  


Chicken Broccoli Casserole


Ingredients:

• 3 Chicken Breasts (on bone) or 2 Boneless, boiled and shredded
• 1 large bag of frozen broccoli florets
• 2 cans Campbell's cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1 pkg. stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farms or Stovetop is best)
• 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

• Steam broccoli and place in bottom of 9x13 pan
• Place chicken on top of broccoli
• Season with salt and pepper
• Mix soup, mayo, curry powder and lemon juice 
• Pour soup mixture over top of chicken and broccoli and spread with spatula
• Sprinkle cheese on top
• Top with breadcrumbs (mix first with 1 Tbsp melted butter, opt.)
• Cover and Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
• Remove cover and bake 10-15 minutes until top is brown and sauce is bubbling

Caramelized Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Honey

This is supposed to be an appetizer but one of these days I think I'm just going to eat these for dinner....they are sweet, savory and sumptuous!  The peaches, brie and onions can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance and then refrigerated, making for quick and easy assembly.  This recipe inspires me to think outside the box on quesadillas.....the fruit & cheese combinations may be endless.

Caramelized Peach & Brie Quesadillas with Honey


Ingredients:

• 12 Flour Tortillas (I like the "uncooked" from Costco, but any will work)
• 2 peaches sliced and sauteed briefly in a hot pan with chopped thyme, until slightly brown
• one small (or 1/4 of a large) Brie wheel, rind removed, and cut into very thin slices
• 1 red onion, sliced thin and sauteed in butter until caramelized
• 1/4 cup of honey

Directions:

• For the Costco "uncooked" tortillas, start by briefly heating each one on both sides, about 30 secs per side to par cook
• Place 2 tortillas on a flat surface
• Evenly distribute 1/4 of the peaches, brie and onion
• Season with salt and pepper
• Stack the tortillas on top of each other, top with a plain tortilla, pressing down firmly to secure the layers
• Repeat with remaining ingredients
• To cook, place on BBQ grill or in hot pan with very little oil
• Heat until grill marks show, flip, heat other side, and then remove from pan
• Cut each stack into 8 slices (more or less if desired) and once on serving platter, drizzle tops with honey
• Garnish with chopped thyme leaves if desired

Shrimp and Avocado Rounds

So......I hate Shrimp, AND Avocado.  You won't find many recipes here featuring those items.  But, I saw this one on a website and thought, "I can do that", and many others will enjoy it.  So, I managed to make them and they were beautiful, and (so I am told) delicious.  I loved that you didn't have to cook anything, and with the cucumber being the "plate" they were portable and super healthy too.  

Shrimp and Avocado Rounds


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup reduced-calorie (or reg.) mayo
• 1 tsp wasabi powder or paste
• 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 large (I use English) cucumber cut into 24- 1/2" thick slices
• 1/2 medium avocado, quartered and then cut into 24 slices
• 8oz cooked shrimp (about 24 small)- peeled and deveigned (I used Costco shrimp and also cut the tails off to make eating them easier)
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped radish
• 1/4 cup mint (approx 24 leaves), left whole for garnish

Directions:

• To make Wasabi Mayo, stir together first three items until smooth
• To make appetizers, spread cucumber slices on platter, top each with 1/2 tsp. of wasabi mayo, then shrimp, avocado and sprinkle radish on top.  Finish with a mint leaf.

Sweet Potato Squares with a Lemon Garlic Mayo

This appetizer is SO simple, but there is something about the "sweet" potato with the "spicy" sausage that is unique, and simply delish!  I found the recipe online to make for a friend's baby shower.  I had to make all the food in advance and then assemble quickly after work, so I cooked the potatoes the night before and then just reheated them when I heated the sausage.  That made the day-of cook/assemble process all of 10 minutes.  (The mayo can also be made in advance).


I've made them for two other parties since then and they have always been a hit.  It's quickly become one of my "go-to" appetizers.  Since I use the larger "hot link" sausage than what is pictured below... (usually from Costco), I place the sausage below the sweet potato so they sit up nicely.  The lemon-garlic mayo is nice, but not necessary if you want to simplify even more.

Sweet Potato Squares with a Lemon Garlic Mayo

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch (approx. 32) cubes

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/2 lb. spicy smoked sausage cut into 32, 1/2 inch pieces(I use the pre-cooked kielbasa-style)

• 24 toothpicks or small skewers

• garnish:  fresh thyme sprigs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450.  Place sweet potato cubes on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Drizzle them with the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat
• Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, turning cubes twice (they should be slightly brown and just soft all the way through)
• Cook sausage in large skillet over medium high 3-4 minutes until browned.  Drain if needed.
• Place one sausage on top of 1 sweet potato cube; secure with wooden pick.  Repeat with remaining sausage slices & potato cubes.  Serve with Lemon-Garlic Mayonnaise and Thyme for Garnish, if desired.

For the Lemon- Garlic Mayo, stir together the following and store up to 7 days in airtight container:

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

• 2 tsp. minced garlic

• 1 tsp. lemon zest

• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 1/2 tsp. salt

Zuppa di Pomodore (Creamy Tomato Soup)

On a a riverboat cruise up the Po river in Italy with my family in 2004, we would return to the ship after our morning excursions and enjoy a sumptuous lunch.... watching the Italian countryside go by as we sailed to our next port.  Every day featured, among other things, a salad bar made of fresh produce (just purchased from the local town), fresh baked bread, and a homemade, delicious soup. Before we left the ship, we asked the chef for the soup recipes and I have hung onto this one ever since.  I'm glad to finally type this one up off the lone copy I've kept in my recipe file for nearly 8 years!

ZUPPA DI POMODORE
 (Creamy Tomato Soup)


Ingredients:

• 4 Medium Onions, sliced
• 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 lb. Fresh Tomatoes (Chef said they have to be the "best" and therefore Romana Tomatoes), cubed
• 4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 Quart Vegetable Stock
• 1/4 Quart Heavy Cream
• 4 oz. (I use 1 large bunch) Fresh Basil
• 4 Tablespoons Corn Starch

Directions:

• Sautee sliced Onions in Olive Oil
• Add the Tomato Paste and Brown Sugar
• Then add the cubed Tomatoes
• Fill up with the Vegetable Stock and cook slowly for minimum 1 hour
• Remove from heat, Add the Basil Leaves
• Puree everything in a food processor or blender
• Strain back into the pot and re-heat to a slow boil
• Mix Corn Starch with water to dissolve, add slowly to soup once boiling, to thicken
• Reduce heat to low, add Cream and a little Salt & Pepper

Chef's Special Tip:  Add 1/8 c Balsamic Vinegar before serving

Serves 8.

When I make this, I sprinkle some fresh Parmesan cheese on top and serve it alongside bread or grilled cheese, and salad for a complete meal.  Or use it as a soup course for a larger dinner.  (It reheats well too!)

My dad and I on the Riverboat, near Venice, 2004